A Memory of Grief

By: Dale T Phillips

Narrated by: Thomas Schellhammer

Troubled ex-con Zack Taylor is haunted by the accidental death of his brother years before. Zack's guilt and anger have pushed him into a shadowy, wandering life, with little purpose and few attachments. When he hears of the death of his close friend Ben Sterling, a supposed gunshot suicide, Zack finds he now has a purpose - to find out what happened. Then his purpose becomes an obsession. Zack goes to Maine, where Ben died, and is a fish out of water, with no connections, no information, and no credibility. People don't want to talk about Ben's death, so Zack gets ever more frustrated, making enemies, getting into fights, and breaking the law in his search for the truth. The only bright spot seems the potential for a relationship with a sympathetic nurse - if he can control his violent streak. To draw out the killers, Zack offers himself as bait. But without a gun, he must rely on his wits and his physical skills to survive a dangerous game of drugs and death. Though managing a measure of justice, Zack is changed in the process, and must learn to live in a very different world.

©2011 Dale T. Phillips (P)2014 Dale T. Phillips

Decent.

Zack Taylor is a man on a mission. His best friend has been murdered. What's worse is that nobody is wanting to consider it a murder. They all want it written off as a suicide. It's up to Zack to investigate and find out what really happened. I really did like this story a lot. I think it had great potential. I feel like it could have used a little more flair and dramatics. I guess I adore my thrillers and get a little picky about them. To me it came off as a little dry and bland. I don't think there was anything wrong with this book. Like I said, I enjoyed it a lot. The narrator could use a lot of work. He just didn't seem as intense as he could have been. He wasn't horrible. I was able to follow along with what he was saying. He just didn't get as excited about the story as I feel he should have. Could be why I didn't get into the story as much. I'll have to go back and actually read it and see if my opinion changes. I do recommend this book. If you like mysteries and thrillers, this is a book for you. I may feel like it could use a little more work and intensity, but I do really like it. I could see myself reading the rest of this series and actually reading this book again.

Good book, mediocre narrator

While the storyline is good, the character development is 4 stars. I liked the way he compared the accidental death of his brother, who I wish I could have known a little more, the friendship with his murdered friend could and should have been introduced a little more, imo. I also wished I had kown in the beginning chapters why he was an ex-con until waiting until the middle of the book. Other than that and wishing the narrator hadn't sounded so bored, it was overall not a bad read.

Action, Mystery, and More Action

Summary: Zack Taylor’s told his best friend just committed suicide, but he knows better … and he’s going to prove it.

Additional Comments:

- Warning – not a “clean” book. Contains half a dozen f-bombs and plenty of violence.

- It’s a bit like a Jack Reacher book in that certain people get pounded and you still end up rooting for the good guy.

- There’s a romance subplot that the book could have done without. It’s not that it was bad, but it seemed a tad forced.

- The characters are likable - or unlikable - as they’re supposed to be.

- There are a few light-hearted moments. The descriptions are decent.

- I heard the narrated version. Although I can’t say the narrator’s voice is my favorite, he fits the character well and put on a solid performance.

Conclusion: Mystery that provides an excellent excuse for the main character to bust people’s heads (and arms and whatnot).

* I received a free copy of the audiobook. The opinions expressed here are my own and I freely chose to leave this review.